Archive for the ‘3.5 Cupcakes’ Category

I think it’s time we all acknowledge that I am the worst book blogger ever. I’m okay with that, because this is just a hobby, and I know a lot of my reviews are pretty squee-full because I only read books I think I’ll like and really only bother to write about things I love and want to share. And I only do that once every six months or so. Whoops! But rather than heading into 2013 staring at the books I’ve read, trying to remember enough to write full reviews, here are a slew of mini-reviews of stuff I read in 2012 and never got around to writing about. In three paragraphs or less each, I’ll be covering Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore, Cinder by Marissa Meyer, The Demon’s Surrender by Sarah Rees Brennan, and Team Human by Sarah Rees Brennan and Justine Larbalestier.(more…)

Liza and her little brother Patrick know all about the Spindlers – evil spider-creatures who live underground and steal souls. And when Patrick starts acting cold and distant, Liza knows right away that the Spindlers have gotten to him. To save her brother’s soul, she must descend to the world Below – a world of giant talking rats, fairy balls, treacherous trees, and lethal rivers – and face the Queen of the Spindlers in the heart of the Web of Souls.

Emily Snow’s life has been vastly disrupted ever since her parents disappeared, but even she’s not prepared to see tiny people battling in the streets of Old London Town. It seems that faeries are real, and they’re at war – with each other, and with a secret society of humans called the Invisible Order. Emily wants no part of it, but when her brother is kidnapped, she’ll need to team up with a piskie named Corrigan and her street thief friend Jack in order to end the war and get her brother back – if she can decide who to trust.

Beka Cooper has just buried her fiancé when she’s called in on a Hunt that threatens the royal family – and the safety of Tortall itself. Along with her partner Tunstall and her loyal scent hound Achoo, Beka must travel far outside of her comfort zone and untangle a conspiracy involving some of the most wealthy and powerful people in the kingdom – while she’s forced to question exactly who she can trust.

Now that Finn has Escaped, he thought everything would be different, but the Realm outside is no paradise. He’s supposed to be a long lost prince, but doesn’t remember anything about his past — and out of nowhere, another boy has appeared, claiming to be the very same prince. With no way to prove his claim, he, Claudia, and the scholar Jared can only hope to restore communication with Incarceron and find the missing Warden.

Things inside Incarceron aren’t stable, either. Attia and Keiro realize Finn either can’t or won’t get them out, and search for their own Escape. And even Incarceron itself is changing, seeking an Escape… but how can a prison escape itself? And exactly who, or what, is Sapphique?

This is the end of the series, and I can’t discuss it without spoilers, so beware! Uncut spoilers under the cut.(more…)

After Gen’s bragging lands him in the king’s prison, the chances of escape look slim. Then the king’s scholar, the magus, needs the thief’s skill for a seemingly impossible task — to steal a hidden treasure from another land.

To the magus, Gen is just a tool. But Gen is a trickster and a survivor with a plan of his own.

After dying in a car crash, Lia’s brain was downloaded into a mech body — but things aren’t going so well for the mechs these days. After a fellow mech with her face went on a killing spree and a group called the Brotherhood devoted itself to destroying all mechs, Lia’s been forced to try and do some good PR — but it isn’t enough. Someone’s created a mech virus that shuts down and erases anyone infected. Now, to save all the remaining mechs, she has to team up with extremist Jude, her estranged younger sister… and the one person who hates her most in the world.

Since this is the last book in a trilogy, it’s kind of impossible to respond to without spoiling. So: major spoilers after this cut!(more…)

Mae’s life has changed forever now that she knows about magic — about demons and magicians — but now that her magic-wielding brother Jamie is safe, she thought they were done with that world forever. Then she sees Jamie cavorting with Gerald, the magician who took over the Circle trying to kill them, and she has to call the brothers Alan and Nick again. Except they’ve changed: Nick’s new powers are limitless, and there’s some kind of wedge between him and Alan now. Now, Mae has to figure out what the magicians are up to, how to get Jamie away from them, and how to save Nick from the magicians too — and save Nick from himself.

Mary’s village is the last village, the only village, haven to only living people left in the entire world. Beyond the village fences is the Forest of Hands and Teeth, full of undead Unconsecrated who hunger for human flesh, and only the word of the Sisterhood keeps the village on God’s path and protected. But Mary stumbles on to a secret, a stranger from Outside, which means the Sisterhood has been lying for generations. But what are the Sisters covering up — and what is outside the Forest?

Charlotte and Zee have had enough Greek god-based weirdness in the past few months to last a lifetime, but they know they’ve got more coming, especially when their mortal enemy Philonecron gets his hands on Poseidon’s trident, and gets it in his head to take over the universe. Now Philonecron’s wreaking havoc, Zeus is seriously considering eliminating humans entirely, and Charlotte and Zee have to sort through a secret society, an ancient weapon, and a prophesied “secret son” before they can even think about hurdling the final obstacle: Mount Olympus itself.